A Visual History of the Future

Decades ago, artists’ imaginings formed high expectations about the world to come. Were these just fantasies–or was it the work of pioneers whose visions of the future actually helped to shape it?
Darren Garrett

The ID Question

Who decides who you are? You, or the world around you?
Anjali Ramachandran

Fowl Plague

Pandemics have threatened humanity in the past–and avian influenza may well be the next one due.
Duncan Geere

Beats: Space

Space is where we project our dreams–and our nightmares–of the future.

Beats: Food

Food structures our day, and food systems shape our world

Beats: Disability

“Disable” is an active verb, and disability describes the social and environmental barriers that prevent access just as much as an individual body’s physical reality.

Beats: Health

Access to health care is as much a matter of public policy as it is the size of a person’s pocketbook; within a doctor’s office, many factors affect the quality of treatment.

Scientists Like Me Are Studying Your Tweets–Are You OK With That?

As researchers, we have a responsibility to acknowledge that factors like the type of data, the creator of that data, and our intended use for the data are important when it comes to using public information.
Casey Fiesler
7 min read

Flotation Tanks: The Weight Room for Your Mind

But for the man who invented the flotation tank, it was supposed to be something else altogether: a way to open a hole to the center of the universe.
Danny McAteer
8 min read

Why Nuclear Energy Isn’t Getting Safer

New reactors became less common after disasters like Chernobyl–with the side effect of also slowing research into new reactor designs.
Duncan Geere
11 min read